


A Map On Your Skin

by imaginary_golux



Series: These Precious Fluffballs [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, The Jacket, mentions of canon-typical violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 01:44:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6264649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn is mending the jacket, and has some questions about the <i>other</i> bits of damage on it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Map On Your Skin

Finn is mending the jacket. The burnt tear down the back is wide, but he’s gotten ahold of another piece of leather of about the same color and is sewing it in with tiny, tidy stitches. Sewing was one of the acceptable elective skillsets, along with basic cooking, basic mechanical repairs, and instrumental skills. One ‘trooper in each four-man squad was supposed to have each skill. Slip had instrumental skills. Nines could fix nearly anything. Zero could cook, at least well enough to pass the basic course - which meant he could burn meat to an acceptable level of doneness, at least. And Finn can sew.

“It’s been through the wars,” Poe says, settling down next to him. “Literally, actually. Saved my life a couple times.”

Finn blinks up at him. “It has?”

“Yeah,” Poe says, and points to a deep gash in the leather on one side - one old enough that it has weathered to the same brown as the rest of the jacket. “First Order assassin tried to knife me,” he explains. “Jacket turned the blade just enough.”

Finn runs careful fingers over the gash. “That’s...terrifying,” he says quietly. “Any others?”

“Nothing quite so intentionally violent,” Poe says. He points to a burn down one arm of the jacket. “Shorted out something in the engine while I was working on an old X-Wing; jacket took most of the shock.” He rolls up his sleeve to show a shiny scar down his forearm. “Not all of it, but most of it.”

Finn traces the scar with one finger. “Do you have other scars?”

“A few,” Poe admits. He reaches up to brush his fingers over the one on his hairline, the newest scar. “This one’s from Jakku.”

Finn winces. “I remember that one.”

“Yeah.” Poe shrugs. “There’s one on my foot from when I was pretty young. I went swimming, kicked a bit of coral. Surprisingly sharp stuff. And there’s one on my ankle from the time our pittin wanted to get past me and I didn’t move fast enough. Pointy little claws on those things.”

“Good to know,” Finn says solemnly.

“Hah,” says Poe. “When I take you home, I’ll introduce you. Fluffy little asshole will probably love you on sight.”

“...Good?” says Finn dubiously.

“Yeah, means I won’t get fur all over my flight suit,” Poe says cheerfully.

Finn laughs, a little helplessly, and puts another neat little row of stitches into the jacket patch. Poe watches him sew for a while, and then says, “Broke an arm, my first battle. Safety harness malfunction, maneuver bashed me into a wall. Got back to base by the skin of my teeth. And there’s a scar on my shoulder from an ill-advised barfight, back when I was eighteen and thought that yelling at drunk soldiers for being assholes was a good idea.”

“You were yelling at drunk soldiers for being assholes _yesterday_ ,” Finn points out, accurately.

“Yes, but I’m a Commander now, and if they try to cut me open with a broken beer bottle they’ll get hauled in front of the General on charges,” Poe replies.

“Also I’ll break their arms,” Finn says mildly.

“...And that,” Poe says. “But honestly besides the one on my finger from thinking the pot was much cooler than it was - pro tip, always use a potholder - that’s about it for scars.” He grins. “Took a couple of hits now and then, but the jacket kind of absorbed a lot of them. And now it’s doing its best to keep _you_ safe!”

“Huh,” says Finn, finishing the last little bit and tying off the thread, then holding up the jacket to check his work. It’s solid. “Well, if the jacket’s protecting me now, I guess it’s my job to protect _you_.”

“I’m a grown man, I can look after myself,” Poe protests.

“Yes, and I’ll be there to watch your back,” Finn says.

“...I’m not going to win this argument, am I?”

“No,” says Finn cheerfully. “You rescued me, you have to keep me.”

“Oh,” laughs Poe, “I see how it is.” He leans over to rest his head against Finn’s shoulder, chuckling. “And here I thought you rescued _me_.”

“We rescued each other,” Finn says.

“So we look out for each other,” Poe agrees. “Nice work on that jacket, by the way.”

“Thanks,” says Finn. “It’s good to fix something, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Poe says. “It’s nice to know you made something a little better.” He stands, offers Finn his hand. “C’mon. I’ll teach you how to make the best seafood soup this side of Yavin 4, and you can tell me where you learned to sew that well.”

Finn takes his hand and lets Poe pull him to his feet. “I’d like that,” he says, and shrugs the jacket on.

“Good thought,” Poe says. “Kitchens are dangerous places.”

“Can’t be too careful,” Finn agrees, and slings an arm over Poe’s shoulders. “There. Got your back.”

“Yeah, buddy,” Poe says. “You do. And I got yours.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] A Map on Your Skin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7030993) by [Hananobira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hananobira/pseuds/Hananobira)




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